CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Danielle

HE SMILED, RUNNING a finger between my breasts. “‘I love you, Austin. Don’t leave me.’”

I gasped. “I did not.”

“Swear to God you did.”

“Is that why you’re telling me all of this?” I asked, scared of what his answer might be.

“Hell, no.” He frowned. “Do you really think I’d do that?”

“No idea,” I admitted. “I try not to trust my gut because I’m usually wrong.”

“Well, just so we’re clear, I wouldn’t. I will always tell you the truth and if I can’t tell you something, I’ll say so.”

“Deal.” I smiled. “Are we done talking now?”

“Would you rather do something else?” he asked.

I bit my lip and nodded.

He grinned, sliding his hand between my legs. “Like?”

I arched my hips and sighed. He pulled his hand away. “Huh-uh. You have to say it, Dani.”

My face flamed. “Touch me.”

He touched my thigh. “Here?”

“No,” I rasped.

He moved his hand to my hip. “Here?”

I shook my head.

“Where, baby?”

“There.”

He chuckled. “Not good enough. Tell me what you want me to do to you.”

“I want… um… your mouth.”

“You want my mouth?”

I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Eyes, Dani.”

I looked at him again and my heart raced.

“Where do you want my mouth?” he asked.

“Down… there.”

He smiled, moving his hand to my stomach. “You want my mouth here?”

“Lower,” I whispered.

“All you have to do is say it, baby, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“I want your mouth on my… pu… um… pussy.”

Austin didn’t make me wait as he knelt between my legs and pushed my knees open. Guiding one of my legs over his shoulder, he covered my core with his mouth and sucked my clit, and then blew gently.

I mewed and arched into his mouth as he continued his delicious assault. I vaguely registered the sound of tearing foil and then his girth filled me and I cried out in delight. His thumb had replaced his mouth on my clit, and then he rolled onto his back, carrying me with him so I was straddling him. I anchored my hands on his chest and lowered myself so I could draw him deeper inside of me.

“Babe,” he whispered, grabbing my bottom with one hand, while he continued to stroke me with the other.

I raised up and then lowered myself again, the sensation of him filling me while I had all the power incredibly exciting. I raised up again and smiled down at him. “Like this? Am I doing it right, Mr. Carver?” I used my very best, dumb blonde voice, and for whatever reason, his eyes widened and his breathing came in short bursts.

I lowered again and quickly found myself on my back and Austin driving into me so fast and hard, I came before he was done. I cried out and gripped his arms, wrapping my legs around him as he surged forward again and again, building something inside of me I wasn’t expecting. I burst into tears as another orgasm hit and he fell on top of me, breathing hard, and his hand going for my neck. “Baby, I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”

I shook my head, unable to stop my sobbing.

“Hey.” Austin leaned up and stroked my cheek. “Dani, you’re scaring me. Talk to me.”

“I can’t.” My sobs wracked my body and I knew… just knew… it was the ugly cry. Like when snot flies out of your nose at the same time as gushing saltwater seeps from your eyeballs and mixes with all manner of bodily fluids to give your face a sheen that no one really wants to see.

I covered my face with my hands and Austin pulled me into the safety of his body and held me, stroking my back until I was able to calm down. The tears dried up, but the hiccupping was on full tilt.

He cupped the back of my head and gently guided my face forward, kissing my forehead. “You okay?”

I nodded, taking a deep breath and then another. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“Because I’m all snotty and gross.”

Austin chuckled. “You’re fuckin’ adorable, Dani, do you know that?”

“Phlegm turns you on, huh?”

“Only yours, baby.”

I shoved my face into his neck. “I was not expecting that.”

“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”

“Positive.” I met his eyes. “I just couldn’t stop coming and I was so overwhelmed by you. I felt beautiful and loved, and wholly cherished, and it was so much to take in.”

“You are all of those things,” he said. “I thought I might have scared you. I had a flashback and it made me a little crazy.”

“What kind of flashback?”

“The kind that when I dropped you off at your place that first night, I envisioned you in thigh-high stockings, a pearl necklace and those glasses of yours, riding me while I sucked your tits.”

I gasped. “You did?”

“Yeah. Spent a few nights alone with my hand while calling up that fantasy.”

I shook my head. “You’re insane.”

“Yep. You make me crazy.”

“Ditto.” I giggled and leaned forward to kiss his heavily tattooed chest. I was looking forward to exploring every inch of them. “I love your tattoos.”

“You do?”

I nodded. “I’ve never been a big tattoo person, although, they all work on you.”

Austin smiled and kissed my forehead. “How’s your head?”

“Pounding,” I said. “And I’m sleepy.”

“Sleep baby. I’ll take care of the condom and be right back.”

“’K,” I said on a yawn.

Austin left me, returning quickly and pulling me into his arms. He kissed my shoulder and I fell asleep almost immediately with a smile on my face.

***

Booker

I WALKED INTO the club, my thoughts occupied by the last few hours. I’d left Dani asleep in my bed, waking her briefly to tell her where I was going, before kissing her and watching as she fell back into slumber.

I’d stopped at the front desk of my building to inform the doorman that Dani was in my apartment and to not let her leave without talking with me first.

I took a minute to grab my mail, running into my neighbor, Macey Stone, a nurse at the local hospital.

“Hey, Booker,” Macey said as she thumbed through her mail.

The gorgeous red-head looked like she’d just come in from a run.

“Hey, Mace. Where’s your husband?”

“Dallas got called into work.” She wrinkled her nose. “I really wish criminals would be more sensitive to our schedule. I’ve only had one full day with him this week.”

I chuckled. Macey’s husband was an FBI agent and that was all I cared to know about him.

“Did I hear you tell Trevor you’ve got a lady visitor?”

I grinned. “My woman’s staying with me for a few days. Her name’s Dani.”

“Awesome. If I get a chance, I’ll go introduce myself.” Macey scanned her mail. “Payton’s coming over to get the rest of her stuff, so we’ll both go.”

Payton had been Macey’s roommate up until Macey got married.

I smiled. “I think she’d really like that.”

“Gotta hit the shower,” Macey said. “See ya.”

“Bye, babe,” I said, and headed to the garage.

“Booker,” Crow said, pulling me back to the present.

“Hey.” I glanced up to see the Prez with a glass of whiskey in his hand. “Shit, already?”

“Fuckin’ shit day, Book.”

“Gonna get worse.”

“Figured.” He started toward the back of the building. “Let’s talk in my office.”

I kicked the door closed behind me and flopped down in one of the chairs facing Crow’s desk. “You got K&R insurance on your kid?”

Crow sat in my office chair and scowled. “How do you know about that?”

“I found out from the asshole who stole Dani’s money.”

Crow pulled out his cell phone and put it to his ear. “Hatch, I want Flea on Ashley twenty-four-seven. Yeah. I don’t give a flyin’ fuck if she don’t want it, she don’t got a choice. Update me. Yeah.” He hung up. “Talk to me.”

“This douchebag has records on several folks who have insurance policies over two mil, including Dani. He seems mostly interested in kidnap and ransom, but he’s got half a dozen accidental death ones as well. I’m diggin’ deeper and I’ve got Train and Grizz on ’im until I can figure out what his game is. I cross-referenced the names on the policies and no one’s been kidnapped or killed so far, but I’m thinkin’ he wants to benefit from this information, so I’m assuming he’ll either act on it or sell it.”

“Fuck,” Crow said. “You got your woman?”

I nodded. “She’s safe. I’m gonna talk to her brother and father and see what they think.”

“Tread lightly there.”

“No, I’m gonna fill them in on all the club’s business, including our not so above-board dealings. Then I’m gonna hand them all the money and hold my hands out for the cuffs.”

Crow laughed. “Fuck you, Book.”

“Got me a woman I like better, Crow.” I grinned. “But thanks for the offer.”